Abbott Elementary is winning with viewers and the ratings are the proof. The comedy series created by the show’s star Quinta Brunson is about an underfunded public school in Philadelphia and while the staff experiences many hardships, the comedic timing by the passionate teachers makes it a joy to watch.
Along with Quinta, the show also stars Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Janelle James. Deadline reported that Abbott Elementary’s second episode made it ABC’s strongest comedy since Modern Family after it ended in April 2020. The show amassed nine million viewers with high ratings between the 18-49 age range.
https://t.co/zC7wFTyJwApic.twitter.com/mqI6ECwuUN
— quinta brunson (@quintabrunson) February 23, 2022
The premiere episode, however, quadrupled in ratings since its original air date making it the first comedy series to do so on the network. Much of the success can be attributed to social media due to many viewers tweeting about the show and sharing memes as well as the cast joining in on those conversations.
Quinta shared what the response has been like to Harper's Bazaar. "To have only had a few episodes [air] and just for it to be an abundance of love, conversation, and just enjoyment of the show is just so, like, I don't know. I am just so happy, so overwhelmed," she said. "It was weird to feel like I had to pull back from Twitter because of too much positivity. I was like, 'I don't know what to do with so many nice messages and nice comments.'"
Abbott Elementary is a show that is near and dear to Quinta’s heart. During her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the show’s creator revealed that the school is named after her sixth-grade teacher Ms. Abbott. Quinta’s character, Janine, is a second-grade teacher whose optimism and naivety sometimes rub her co-workers the wrong way, but at the end of the day, they each support one another and care for their students.
If you haven’t caught up on Abbott Elementary just yet, you still have time. Quinta recently tweeted that the show will be taking a three-week break.
After tonight's #AbbottElementary , we'll be on break for three weeks, then back with more (there are thirteen episodes this season). Enjoy tonight's episode! It's a delight :)
— quinta brunson (@quintabrunson) February 22, 2022
Featured image by ABC/Pamela Littky